About The Author

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. One of eight children, he was the second oldest. He is one of the most famous English writers in literature, and is often considered the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. Dickens was also a harsh critic of the Victorian society he lived in, concerned about the harsh conditions for the lower class. His feelings towards poverty were expressed in many of his writings. Unlike many famous writers in history, Dickens was recognized as a great writer since the beginning of his career which began after he left school and became a freelance reporter. A big idea he popularised was monthly installments of his pieces, which were a huge hit for his readers. It allowed for critiques from the audience, which helped him change the next installment to please the people. Dividing his pieces into serial installments also casued people to be eager to read what would happen next. It was a very intelligent method. He died on June 9, 1870. His writings are so popular that even today they have never gone out of print. A few of his pieces stilll recognized today include: A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, and Oliver Twist.